China has announced measures to promote research and development of medicines specifically for children, aiming to address a longstanding gap in the pharmaceutical sector.

On October 11, the Center for Drug Evaluation under the National Medical Products Administration issued a document outlining support for developing new pediatric drugs with higher safety and efficacy standards, targeted dosage forms, and precise administration instructions.

Currently, of more than 3,500 chemical drug preparations available in China, only about 60 are designed specifically for children under 14—less than 2 percent of the total—according to the National Center for Women and Children’s Health.